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Mother India 1

Mother India 2

Mother India 3

Mother India 4

ORIGINS

For more than tens of thousands of years the Cosmic Mother was worshipped by all

She was perceived as Great Dark (Night), the Womb, the Waters (Ocean), The Cosmic Egg...

Later She got an anthropomorphic image: Kybele, Isis, Inanna, Ishtar, Asherah...

Later She "delegated" some "functions" to Her Daughters (Goddesses) and Sons (Gods)...

Eventually She ("Tiamat") lost Her Power, and was destroyed by the patriarchal God Marduk

Ever since She became demonized, pictured like a evil dragon or monster.

The Gods(Goddesses) of the past are the Demons of today

Every religion degrades the previous Deities into Demons e.g. Guardians..

Unfortunately, this also happened to the Cosmic Mother

Examples are "Demons", Kirtimukha's and Kala's (Mahakala's!).

So, that's how we meet Her in temples, churches, sacred places, sanctuaries...

Pay Her respect with the eyes of compassion through looking beyond Her ugliness

Deep down Her Beauty is immeasurable!

COMMENT

In later ages patriarchy re-introduced the Goddess, knowing that the people would otherwise revolt

In Hinduism the Primordial Mother was turned into a "integrated" Deity. She became the consort (shakti) of Shiva (instead of Shiva being Her Son/Lover!), in Buddhism Kuan Yin replaced WuShenglaoMu and in Christianity the Virgin Mary became the substitute of the ancient Magna Mater

Through its multi-facetted character only Hinduism preserved memories of pre-Vedic times, though, like Lajja Gauri, Aditi, Durga, Kali and....Meenakshi

TAMIL NADU TEMPLE TOUR 2014

Trichy
Madurai
Kanya Kumari

Sri Maha Mariamman
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

 

 

MOTHER INDIA 1
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Trichy/Tamil Nadu

The big surprise entering the Temples of Southern India was the discovery of the remainders of pre-Vedic (pre-patriarchal) symbols

 

There is a logic behind it. They are to be found in the oldest structure of the temple e.g. the basic parts.

(In Angkor Wat, Cambodia I found the same pattern)

Basic structure and superstructure, the latter from later times.

Cosmic Womb with Kala (Kirtimukha) Face

 

These Womb Images are archaic and totally unique

While in the West Mother and Son are separated, in the East they are Aspects of the same Numenous Being. In India this is called Kirtumukha or "Glorious Face". The Mother rules death and rebirth, a "function later (in patriarchal times) taken from Her by Vedic Gods (Shiva). Death and Rebirth rule time, that's why was turned into the "God of Time" ( Kala or Mahakala). These Kala images are particular frequent on and in the Hindu Temples (Candis) of Java, Indonesia. In fact they are reminders of the Original Cosmic Mother.

 

Cosmic Womb, Kala Face and the Divine Son born out of Her

 

I am still totally impressed by these primordial symbolism. I assume they can be found all over India (and beyond). As far as I know this is the first time these images are photographed and documented.

 

 

From later times: Indian God (Indra?) born out of the Kala Womb

ind-4308.jpg (18671 bytes)
What impressed me was the continuity  of the Mother from ancient times until recent times. Again and again the Cosmic Womb, Her Kala Face and Her offspring. The latter can be a God, a King, a City or a Temple.
ind-4281.jpg (14019 bytes)

Aren't they sweeties?

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COSMIC MOTHER
East/West
Twelve Religions
Green Men & Wise Women
India
China
Java
Dayak

INDIA

PRIMORDIAL MOTHER

KALA-KIRTIMUKHA

(PROTO)SHIVA

SHAKTISM

INDIAN TEMPLES

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE

MOTHER'S HERO'S

HER DAUGHTERS

MOTHER INDIA

HEINRICH ZIMMER

TAMIL CULTURE

SACRED GROVES

BACK TO THE ORIGIN

 

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Last revising: 07/13/15